Due to separation from their families and friends in their home countries and constrained living ... more Due to separation from their families and friends in their home countries and constrained living conditions in the host countries, migrant workers usually are found to experience loneliness. Compared with male migrant workers, female migrant workers are more vulnerable and likely to experience higher levels of psychological problems. The ubiquity of mobile phones enables migrant workers to access resources and social support to help to alleviate loneliness. However, research also suggests that mobile phone use may lead to a higher level of loneliness because problematic or excessive use displaces meaningful social interactions. This study investigates this mobile phone paradox among Filipino domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong. Specifically, it explores the relationships between mobile phone use and two types of loneliness, namely social and emotional loneliness. Further, informed by the augmentation hypothesis and the displacement hypothesis, this research advances a two-path mode...
International Association for Media and Communication Research Conference (IAMCR 2019) - Communication, Technology, and Human Dignity: Disputed Rights, Contested Truths, Jul 7, 2019
This study examines the extent to which variances in media exposure influence credibility judgmen... more This study examines the extent to which variances in media exposure influence credibility judgment in an elaboration model focused on the mediating role of current events knowledge and information processing. Contextualized in Hong Kong, we construct a measurement scale ranging from non-users through skimpy scanners and further to avid readers. We separate media credibility perceptions into three categories: public interest, information quality, and cosmopolitan scope. We hypothesize that regular exposure to newspapers leads to high political knowledge and deeply engaged information processing, resulting, paradoxically, in mistrust of the press and low credibility judgment. Analyses of data from a random sample of 441 local Hong Kong residents reveal several interesting findings: 1) Media exposure is positively correlated with political knowledge; 2) High knowledge of local issues induces less cognitive processing; and 3) Knowledge as a surrogate for depth understanding and Information processing as an indicator of mental complexity are inversely related to credibility perceptions. Theoretical and social implications are discussed.
Audience members carry expectations and judgment of media prior to using them. On the assumption ... more Audience members carry expectations and judgment of media prior to using them. On the assumption that perceptions have broad socio-political antecedents and audience cognitive consequences, this study specifies a model to examine the relationships among social ...
This research integrates construal level theory with news production strategies by exploring the ... more This research integrates construal level theory with news production strategies by exploring the joint effects of distance and editorial commitment on news narratives. In content analyzing the coverage of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by four newspapers in China and West, we investigate determinants of choice of principled or personalized accounts in storytelling. The findings showed that editorial commitment was low and power reliance high when the site of event was far away, leading to the use of higher construals in Western news texts than in Chinese newspapers. This study contributes to the unexplored relationship between news production and construal level theory.
The media literacy's interest in media participation centers on the notion of empowerment. This r... more The media literacy's interest in media participation centers on the notion of empowerment. This research investigates the impact of patterns of interpersonal discussion and media use on media participation intention. We also examine the role of media production knowledge and media participation efficacy as mediators in the flow of influence. Data collected from face-to-face interviews taken from a random sample of 600 Beijing residents show that media production knowledge has little effect on media participation intention. The media uses habits and interpersonal discussion as a multi-dimensional concept exerts direct influence on efficacy and behavioral intention, more so for reflective speakers than discussion followers. However, the relationships are significantly reduced or even eliminated after media efficacy is controlled.
This study investigates the real and potential functions of English media in the milieu of social... more This study investigates the real and potential functions of English media in the milieu of social openness in post-Mao China. The unique position of China's English media reflects key characteristics of a`hybridized discourse' and a style of reporting which seems both keen to control and eager to please. Three socio-political functions emerge from this mixed product. Consensual functions denote conformity to official ideology, with the media assuming the double role of political advocates and economic`boosters'. Conflictual functions, on the other hand, enable the media to promote cosmopolitan worldviews, pluralistic opinions, and occasionally alternative voices. Somewhere in the middle of the two opposing platforms are the Instrumental functions that emphasize media's role as an information conduit, a language-learning tool, and a professional role model. This article examines the varying degrees to which China's English media perform all three sets of functions, identifies conditions and timing for selective emphasis, and discusses the social and theoretical implications of studying the English media's functions.
A survey of 30 of China's journalism and communication schools traces changes and continu... more A survey of 30 of China's journalism and communication schools traces changes and continuity in the country's journalism education in the past three decades during which dramatic economic and sociopolitical reforms were implemented. Guided by the classic theories of the press and their more recent extensions, this study focuses on two major areas of observation and analysis: (1) journalism schools'
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 1996
Data collected from two surveys in 1992, one cross-sectional and one two-wave panel, are used to ... more Data collected from two surveys in 1992, one cross-sectional and one two-wave panel, are used to examine the predictive patterns of traditional and nontraditional media forms on people's campaign interest, campaign information processing strategies, campaign participation, knowledge of candidates' issue positions, affect and image favorability toward candidates, perceived votes for candidates, and issue salience. Applying three incremental levels of controls, nontraditional media were found to have the strongest impact on labile characteristics (e.g., campaign interest) and weakest impact on criteria more difficult to alter, such as knowledge of candidates' issue positions. Traditional media forms continue to have a potent influence greater than that of nontraditional media forms on the campaign.
International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 2001
Abstract Integrating the cultivation and impersonal impact approaches, this research assessed the... more Abstract Integrating the cultivation and impersonal impact approaches, this research assessed the relative contribution of direct experience, interpersonal communication, and media use habits on crime perceptions by people from two communities, Hong Kong and the Mainland Chinese city of Guangzhou. A large‐scale newspaper content analysis and parallel surveys were conducted and crime statistics were obtained in both communities in 1997 and 1999 to investigate the relationships among sources of influence and three ...
Research on dimensions of community integration has suffered from the lack of clear conceptual an... more Research on dimensions of community integration has suffered from the lack of clear conceptual and operational definitions. The purposes of this article are to explicate the concept of community integration and its dimensions and to specify the structural and media antecedents and the political consequences of these dimensions. Using 15 indicators drawn from previous integration studies, we test the hypothesis that integration is a multidimensional concept. A factor analysis reveals that community integration has at least five dimensions: psychological attachment, interpersonal discussion networks, city versus group, localism versus cosmopolitanism, and city versus neighborhood. The structural and media use antecedents and the political consequences of these dimensions are examined to provide construct validity for our measurement. We find strong relationships between local media use and the dimensions of community integration, as well as links between local media use and community ...
“Un-news” is a Chinese newsroom jargon that refers to the process as well as the product of aggre... more “Un-news” is a Chinese newsroom jargon that refers to the process as well as the product of aggregation. It encapsulates clashes between digital and legacy journalism, challenges posed by and responses to technologies in the media industry. It differs from aggregation news elsewhere because of dynamic media environment in China. This ethnographic study closely analyzes manifestations of “un-news” churned out by digital aggregators who have to work under management of legacy print journalists and editors in a local Chinese press. The hierarchy of influences model is used to decompose the meanings and complexities of “un-news.” Fieldwork observations have confirmed our expectations that the hierarchy model remains structurally valid, although the content and meaning of influence have changed drastically within each level.
The current study examines theoretical connections between media exposure and fashion involvement... more The current study examines theoretical connections between media exposure and fashion involvement in Chinese society within a predictive framework that also includes social comparison, cognitive dissonance and peer pressure. Two studies were performed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results indicate that fashion involvement is motivated by social comparison and is a function of exposure to fashion media, cognitive dissonance reduction and peer influence. Traditional media, particularly magazines, are as strong in explanatory power as new media in the model of fashion communication. Social implications of the study help to inform understanding of fashion phenomenon in Confucian culture and contribute to knowledge of intercultural communications.
Due to separation from their families and friends in their home countries and constrained living ... more Due to separation from their families and friends in their home countries and constrained living conditions in the host countries, migrant workers usually are found to experience loneliness. Compared with male migrant workers, female migrant workers are more vulnerable and likely to experience higher levels of psychological problems. The ubiquity of mobile phones enables migrant workers to access resources and social support to help to alleviate loneliness. However, research also suggests that mobile phone use may lead to a higher level of loneliness because problematic or excessive use displaces meaningful social interactions. This study investigates this mobile phone paradox among Filipino domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong. Specifically, it explores the relationships between mobile phone use and two types of loneliness, namely social and emotional loneliness. Further, informed by the augmentation hypothesis and the displacement hypothesis, this research advances a two-path mode...
International Association for Media and Communication Research Conference (IAMCR 2019) - Communication, Technology, and Human Dignity: Disputed Rights, Contested Truths, Jul 7, 2019
This study examines the extent to which variances in media exposure influence credibility judgmen... more This study examines the extent to which variances in media exposure influence credibility judgment in an elaboration model focused on the mediating role of current events knowledge and information processing. Contextualized in Hong Kong, we construct a measurement scale ranging from non-users through skimpy scanners and further to avid readers. We separate media credibility perceptions into three categories: public interest, information quality, and cosmopolitan scope. We hypothesize that regular exposure to newspapers leads to high political knowledge and deeply engaged information processing, resulting, paradoxically, in mistrust of the press and low credibility judgment. Analyses of data from a random sample of 441 local Hong Kong residents reveal several interesting findings: 1) Media exposure is positively correlated with political knowledge; 2) High knowledge of local issues induces less cognitive processing; and 3) Knowledge as a surrogate for depth understanding and Information processing as an indicator of mental complexity are inversely related to credibility perceptions. Theoretical and social implications are discussed.
Audience members carry expectations and judgment of media prior to using them. On the assumption ... more Audience members carry expectations and judgment of media prior to using them. On the assumption that perceptions have broad socio-political antecedents and audience cognitive consequences, this study specifies a model to examine the relationships among social ...
This research integrates construal level theory with news production strategies by exploring the ... more This research integrates construal level theory with news production strategies by exploring the joint effects of distance and editorial commitment on news narratives. In content analyzing the coverage of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by four newspapers in China and West, we investigate determinants of choice of principled or personalized accounts in storytelling. The findings showed that editorial commitment was low and power reliance high when the site of event was far away, leading to the use of higher construals in Western news texts than in Chinese newspapers. This study contributes to the unexplored relationship between news production and construal level theory.
The media literacy's interest in media participation centers on the notion of empowerment. This r... more The media literacy's interest in media participation centers on the notion of empowerment. This research investigates the impact of patterns of interpersonal discussion and media use on media participation intention. We also examine the role of media production knowledge and media participation efficacy as mediators in the flow of influence. Data collected from face-to-face interviews taken from a random sample of 600 Beijing residents show that media production knowledge has little effect on media participation intention. The media uses habits and interpersonal discussion as a multi-dimensional concept exerts direct influence on efficacy and behavioral intention, more so for reflective speakers than discussion followers. However, the relationships are significantly reduced or even eliminated after media efficacy is controlled.
This study investigates the real and potential functions of English media in the milieu of social... more This study investigates the real and potential functions of English media in the milieu of social openness in post-Mao China. The unique position of China's English media reflects key characteristics of a`hybridized discourse' and a style of reporting which seems both keen to control and eager to please. Three socio-political functions emerge from this mixed product. Consensual functions denote conformity to official ideology, with the media assuming the double role of political advocates and economic`boosters'. Conflictual functions, on the other hand, enable the media to promote cosmopolitan worldviews, pluralistic opinions, and occasionally alternative voices. Somewhere in the middle of the two opposing platforms are the Instrumental functions that emphasize media's role as an information conduit, a language-learning tool, and a professional role model. This article examines the varying degrees to which China's English media perform all three sets of functions, identifies conditions and timing for selective emphasis, and discusses the social and theoretical implications of studying the English media's functions.
A survey of 30 of China's journalism and communication schools traces changes and continu... more A survey of 30 of China's journalism and communication schools traces changes and continuity in the country's journalism education in the past three decades during which dramatic economic and sociopolitical reforms were implemented. Guided by the classic theories of the press and their more recent extensions, this study focuses on two major areas of observation and analysis: (1) journalism schools'
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 1996
Data collected from two surveys in 1992, one cross-sectional and one two-wave panel, are used to ... more Data collected from two surveys in 1992, one cross-sectional and one two-wave panel, are used to examine the predictive patterns of traditional and nontraditional media forms on people's campaign interest, campaign information processing strategies, campaign participation, knowledge of candidates' issue positions, affect and image favorability toward candidates, perceived votes for candidates, and issue salience. Applying three incremental levels of controls, nontraditional media were found to have the strongest impact on labile characteristics (e.g., campaign interest) and weakest impact on criteria more difficult to alter, such as knowledge of candidates' issue positions. Traditional media forms continue to have a potent influence greater than that of nontraditional media forms on the campaign.
International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 2001
Abstract Integrating the cultivation and impersonal impact approaches, this research assessed the... more Abstract Integrating the cultivation and impersonal impact approaches, this research assessed the relative contribution of direct experience, interpersonal communication, and media use habits on crime perceptions by people from two communities, Hong Kong and the Mainland Chinese city of Guangzhou. A large‐scale newspaper content analysis and parallel surveys were conducted and crime statistics were obtained in both communities in 1997 and 1999 to investigate the relationships among sources of influence and three ...
Research on dimensions of community integration has suffered from the lack of clear conceptual an... more Research on dimensions of community integration has suffered from the lack of clear conceptual and operational definitions. The purposes of this article are to explicate the concept of community integration and its dimensions and to specify the structural and media antecedents and the political consequences of these dimensions. Using 15 indicators drawn from previous integration studies, we test the hypothesis that integration is a multidimensional concept. A factor analysis reveals that community integration has at least five dimensions: psychological attachment, interpersonal discussion networks, city versus group, localism versus cosmopolitanism, and city versus neighborhood. The structural and media use antecedents and the political consequences of these dimensions are examined to provide construct validity for our measurement. We find strong relationships between local media use and the dimensions of community integration, as well as links between local media use and community ...
“Un-news” is a Chinese newsroom jargon that refers to the process as well as the product of aggre... more “Un-news” is a Chinese newsroom jargon that refers to the process as well as the product of aggregation. It encapsulates clashes between digital and legacy journalism, challenges posed by and responses to technologies in the media industry. It differs from aggregation news elsewhere because of dynamic media environment in China. This ethnographic study closely analyzes manifestations of “un-news” churned out by digital aggregators who have to work under management of legacy print journalists and editors in a local Chinese press. The hierarchy of influences model is used to decompose the meanings and complexities of “un-news.” Fieldwork observations have confirmed our expectations that the hierarchy model remains structurally valid, although the content and meaning of influence have changed drastically within each level.
The current study examines theoretical connections between media exposure and fashion involvement... more The current study examines theoretical connections between media exposure and fashion involvement in Chinese society within a predictive framework that also includes social comparison, cognitive dissonance and peer pressure. Two studies were performed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results indicate that fashion involvement is motivated by social comparison and is a function of exposure to fashion media, cognitive dissonance reduction and peer influence. Traditional media, particularly magazines, are as strong in explanatory power as new media in the model of fashion communication. Social implications of the study help to inform understanding of fashion phenomenon in Confucian culture and contribute to knowledge of intercultural communications.
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Papers by Steve Guo